SHOWS US HOW SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE GETTING BY. <PERRY EDWARD THORNLEY JR. "IT'S HARD. NAT IT'S REALLY HARD OUT HERE."> PERRY THORNLEY DOES WHAT HE CAN TO KEEP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK THESE DAYS. <"EVERYONE STAY STRONG!"> RIGHT NOW HE'S HOMELESS... AND PROSPECTS FOR FINDING WORK AREN'T GREAT. <PERRY EDWARD THORNLEY JR. "NO CONSTRUCTION, NOTHING GOING ON. STILL GOT ONE TOOL I REALLY LOVE RIGHT HERE."> SO WHILE MANY AMERICANS ARE WAITING ON A STIMULUS CHECK... HE'S RELYING ON THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS FOR SOME OF HIS BASIC NEEDS. <PERRY EDWARD THORNLEY JR. "HEY THANK YOU MY MAN! HAVE A GREAT DAY!"> BUT AS MOST PEOPLE SHELTER INSIDE, FOOT TRAFFIC DOWN TOWN HAS VIRTUALLY VANISHED. MEANING LESS HELPING HANDS. <PERRY EDWARD THORNLEY JR. "IT'S QUIET. PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO COME OUT. THEY'RE AFRAID."> <RITA MARKLEY, COTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "THESE ARE WHAT WE GIVE TO GUESTS."> ACROSS TOWN AT COTS, RITA MARKLEY HAS BEEN SPEARHEADING WORK TO PROTECT THE HOMELESS POPULATION SINCE THE VIRUS FIRST ARRIVED IN VERMONT. <RITA MARKLEY, COTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BE THE FIRST AND MOST TRAGICALLY IMAPCTED."> DOZENS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MNOVED FROM CORDED SHELTERS TO TRAILERS AT BURINGTON;S NORTH BEACH CAMPGROUND. FREEING UP SPACE FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING. THOSE WHO ARE ELDERLY OR WHO HAVE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS IN MOTELS TO KEEP THEM SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE POPULATION... <RITA MARKLEY, COTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "IT'S BUNK BED AFTER BUNK BED WITH ONLY A FEW FEET OF SPACE BETWEEN AND THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD KEEP THEM SAFE IN THAT KIND OF SET UP BUT NOW WE CAN."> AND

Perry Edward Thornley Jr. does his best to keep a positive outlook these days. Right now, he is living without a home in Burlington. His usual odd jobs are on hold as nonessential businesses in Vermont remain shut down at the start of another workweek. "It's really hard out here," Thornley said while holding a sign reading, "Homeless. Anything Helps. Thank you." Right now, he relies on the generosity of others passing by to help him afford some of the basics. However, with the 'say home stay safe' order in effect and nearly everyone avoiding public spaces for nonessential travel, the number of helping hands on the street has noticeably plummeted. "It's quiet," he said. "People don't want to come out. They're afraid."Thornley is not alone. In downtown Burlington, dozens of people without long-term housing are still peppered between street corners and public parks.Local relief organizations have banned together to address the unique challenges of the crisis facing the homeless community. "The most vulnerable people in our community would be the first and most tragically impacted," said Rita Markley, the executive director for the Committee on Temporary Shelter. Markley is chairing a coalition of other shelters and service groups working in tandem to make sure those without a home can stay safe and healthy. "Everyone was saying 'self-isolate at home,' but if you don't have one, what does that mean exactly?" Markley said. Shortly after the first positive case of COVID-19 was identified in Vermont last month, COTS picked out those in their shelter who are most at risk of serious complications from the virus; the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. According to Markley, those individuals have been placed in local motels, allowing them to live separately from the rest of the population while freeing up space for more social distancing in the shelter. Markley said isolation sites have been set up at Harbor place on Shelburne Road for those who are homeless and presenting symptoms of the virus. "We have a safe place to send them where they're not contaminating or potentially infecting anybody else," Markley said. Dozens of individuals from the downtown ANEW Place shelter have been relocated to campers at Burlington's North Beach campground. "We were able to get so many resources up and running so quickly," Markley said, applauding the community-wide effort.

BURLINGTON, Vt. —

Perry Edward Thornley Jr. does his best to keep a positive outlook these days.

Right now, he is living without a home in Burlington. His usual odd jobs are on hold as nonessential businesses in Vermont remain shut down at the start of another workweek.

Thornley is not alone. In downtown Burlington, dozens of people without long-term housing are still peppered between street corners and public parks.

Local relief organizations have banned together to address the unique challenges of the crisis facing the homeless community.

"The most vulnerable people in our community would be the first and most tragically impacted," said Rita Markley, the executive director for the Committee on Temporary Shelter.

Markley is chairing a coalition of other shelters and service groups working in tandem to make sure those without a home can stay safe and healthy.

"Everyone was saying 'self-isolate at home,' but if you don't have one, what does that mean exactly?" Markley said.

Shortly after the first positive case of COVID-19 was identified in Vermont last month, COTS picked out those in their shelter who are most at risk of serious complications from the virus; the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. According to Markley, those individuals have been placed in local motels, allowing them to live separately from the rest of the population while freeing up space for more social distancing in the shelter.

Markley said isolation sites have been set up at Harbor place on Shelburne Road for those who are homeless and presenting symptoms of the virus.

"We have a safe place to send them where they're not contaminating or potentially infecting anybody else," Markley said.

Dozens of individuals from the downtown ANEW Place shelter have been relocated to campers at Burlington's North Beach campground.

"We were able to get so many resources up and running so quickly," Markley said, applauding the community-wide effort.